Officers who patrol the New Orleans' 7th District have a lot of ground to cover, but some residents said they are concerned about how long it takes officers to respond when they call for emergencies.

"The dogs were barking. My wife says it sounds like someone is outside," said homeowner Teddy Edinburgh.

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It was about 3 a.m. Sunday morning. Edinburgh says when he looked outside of the window, he saw two men outside his home.

One of them was already inside his vehicle. His wife called 911.

"I looked out of the blinds and could stand there and see him," Edinburgh said. "I stood there for 5 minutes, then 10 minutes my wife is one the phone with the 911 operator," he said.

He feared the men would try to come into his New Orleans East home.

After several minutes, Edinburgh grabbed his weapon and tapped on the window. The suspects took off.

When authorities arrived, Edinburgh said little was done to investigate the incident.

"They came they looked back there they asked me 'what you want me to do?' He said.

"Man we called for help you know. It was like we were bothering them, Edinburgh said.

Neighbor Dawn Thomas believes the same pair also tried to break into her family's car. Thomas says homeowners in New Orleans east deserve more services and more officers on patrol.

"We don't have an amenities," Thomas said. We don't have security. They are taking away our piece of mind," she said.

"I'd like to know if i call the police and dial 911 someone body is going to come," Edinburgh said.

When asked about the response time, police spokesperson Remi Braden sent the following statement:

"This report of a car break-in occurred while the car's owners were inside their home. Records show officers arrived on the scene in 17 minutes. We regret that any victim of crime has to wait even one minute for officers. But our officers continue to try to get to victims as soon as they possibly can."

The New Orleans Police Department said it responds to about 9,000 calls for service on a weekly basis.